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Literature
Prophet of light
Remembering Ahmad Shamlou
By Esmail Nooriala
July 24, 2000
The Iranian
The coming to end of Shamlou's bodily life can only be considered an
inescapable natural occurrence with no direct impact on the literary history
of modern Persian poetry. But it was the inevitable force of his words
and deeds that has crept into and completely conquered modern Persian literature
and culture, rendering modern Iranian writers and thinkers a challenging
standard of excellence in humanist thought and literary achievement that
will live long after he has left his dusty shell >>>
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Cover story
No fly zone
Molavi bird market in Tehran
Photos by Ali Khaligh
July 24, 2000
The Iranian
Birds (and a variety of other animals) have been bought and sold
in the long, narrow alleys of downtown Tehran's Molavi district for ages.
Some come to buy chickens for dinner. Others are pigeon collectors. And
some are looking for love birds or parots as pets >>>
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Outlook
Aida on Ahmad
BBC Persian Service
Ahmad Shamlou, the greatest contemporary Iranian poet, died this morning
after battling illness. Shamlou was considered a leading literary figure
who had a great impact on modern Iranian free verse. Sima Zand spoke to
Aida, his wife, who was a great inspiration in his poetry >>>
LISTEN HERE
Shamlou dargozasht
Bahar
News about Shamlou's death and his collected works. The funeral ceremony
in Tehran will be held on Thursday >>>
FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Statememts on Shamlou
Rah-e Kargar >>>
FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Cherik-haaye Fadaai-ye Khalq >>>
FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Opinion poll on daily Kayhan
Tehran, July 23, IRNA -- The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) will
conduct an opinion poll on the Persian daily Kayhan through Internet.
The Public Relations Department of IRNA announced here Sunday that the
poll will scrutinize different aspects of Kayhan's performance over the
past few years >>> GO TO
POLL
All the Iranian News, All the Time
By JORDAN RAPHAEL
The New York Times
July 24 , 2000
Twenty years after fleeing his native Iran for the United States, Sassan
Kamali is a full-time television newsman once more.
"I feel like a born-again journalist," Mr. Kamali said.
A TV personality in Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Mr. Kamali
now produces and anchors a daily newsmagazine on National Iranian Television,
or NITV, a 24-hour satellite television station that began full-scale broadcasts
last month out of a North Hollywood, Calif., warehouse >>>
FULL TEXT
Zebel khan gets suspended sentence
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) - Jonathan Taylor Spielberg, who enrolled in a Catholic
high school pretending to be a nephew of the famous filmmaker, has been
sentenced to two years' probation for forgery.... Spielberg was born Anoushirvan
D. Fakhran in Iran, but changed his name 2 1/2 years ago >>>
FULL TEXT
More Letters
* Immortal Shamlou
Kiumarss Nasseri writes:
The news is that Shamlou is dead, like any other human who has or will
ever be on the face of this earth. The truth is that Shamlou was just born
into immortality and joined the ranks of Hafez, Rumi, and Saadi ["Shamlu"].
* Not new
Guive Mirfendereski writes:
The piece on the IRI's attempts to lure expatriates back to the motherland
for whatever service or investment is not new to the Iranian society ["Come
back (and be quiet)"].
Only back in the early 1970's the Pahlavi kingship sought also to prevent
the flight of brains or brain drain (faraar-e maghzhaa) and it courted
the notable Iranians living abroad. One such person who was rumoured to
have been coaxed to return to the motherland was Professor Reza, who upon
return lingered about for the longest of time until the regime was sufficiently
embarased to post him abroad as the Iranian representative to UNESCO>>>
FULL TEXT
* Herbalist Hashishin
Kaveh Tashakori writes:
I read the article: "Separating
the killers from the heroes" (by Guy Dinmore, Financial Times,
July 15, 2000). Just a short note: The common and popular understanding
as presented by Mr. Guy Dinmore in his article, is that the Ismailis with
the leadership of Hassan Sabbah were known as "Hashashin" due
to their useage of Hashish.
From what I have read it seems that this religious community were trying
to live their life away from the atrocities as imposed by the Arab Caliphs
in Iran, hence their living in a mountaintop community, in seclusion.
The word Hashashin at the time meant: the "Herbalists". Herbal
medicine has ancient roots in Iran and it is known that in this community
the cultivation of different herbs for medicinal purposes was practiced
(including Hashish, amongst all the other herbs). Herbal medicine is used
to this day in Iran alongside modern medicine.
Discussion: Iran-Forum discussion list
A new e-mail discussion list has been set-up specifically on Iran and
Iranians. Iran Forum is an independent discussion list for exchange of
ideas and debate on issues relating to Iran and its future in a non-violent,
intellectual, productive and courteous environment To join Iran Forum or
to read more about it , Please visit: www.freespeech.org/iran/
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Translation of today's poem by Zara
Houshmand:
Absolute joy has no room for sadness,
Nor has the heart that rests beyond the sky.
She whose mind dwells in the hanging stars
Will not sow seeds of sadness on this earth.
-- Rumi
Previous
translations
Copyright © Abadan Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
May not be duplicated or distributed in any form
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news
IRNA chief summoned to Tehran's press court
TEHRAN,
July 23 (AFP) - The head of the Iran's state news agency IRNA appeared at
Tehran's press court Sunday following numerous complaints lodged against
him in his former capacity as director of the government-run newspaper Iran,
IRNA reported. "I was summoned to answer to 24 old complaints and some
30 new complaints lodged against me as the former director of the Iran paper,"
Ferydoon Verdinejad said after the court hearing, as cited by IRNA >>>
FULL TEXT
Lawyers freed on bail
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Officials released on bail Saturday two pro-reform
lawyers jailed in connection with a videotape that alleged links between
hard-line politicians and Islamic vigilante attacks, according to a relative.
Mohsen Rahami, a university professor and cleric, and Shirin Ebadi, a pro-democracy
and women's rights activist, were arrested late last month because of allegations
against some officials made in the tape recording >>> FULL TEXT
Khamenei says any Camp David accord doomed
to fail
TEHRAN,
July 22 (AFP) - Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, lashed out
Saturday at the US-brokered Camp David summit, saying any Palestinian compromise
with Israel would fail because of resistance by radical Palestinian groups.
"While the flag of struggle and resistance flies, the line of compromise
is doomed to fail," Khamenei was quoted as saying by state television
>>> FULL TEXT
Iran warns of AIDS "infiltration"
into prisons
TEHRAN,
July 22 (AFP) - The director of Iran's penitentary system warned Saturday
of a spread of AIDS in the country's prisons and called on the government
to take urgent measures to combat it. "AIDS has infiltrated our prisons
and if nothing is done society will be seriously hurt," Morteza Bakhtiari
said at a conference on AIDS, as quoted by the state news agency IRNA >>>
FULL TEXT
Police find drug traffickers with Soviet
surface-to-air missile
TEHRAN,
July 22 (AFP) - Iranian police found a Soviet-built surface-to-air missile
during a recent skirmish with drug traffickers, the newspaper Kayhan reported
Saturday. The "sophisticated" missile, whose make was not specified,
was designed to target helicopters, said General Nasser Shabani, police
commander in Sistan-Baluchistan province on the Pakistani border >>>
FULL TEXT
Iran to sign big oil, gas contrac
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - In the biggest deal of its kind, Iran this
week will sign a $4.3 billion contract to develop a massive gas field in
the Persian Gulf, the official daily newspaper, Iran, reported Sunday. It
quoted what it called informed sources as saying the contract to develop
the South Pars gas field would be signed Thursday with Italy's ENI and Petro-Pars
of Iran. The two companies will develop several phases of the project, Iran
said without elaborating >>> FULL TEXT
UN team evaluates damages of unprecedented
drought in Iran
TEHRAN,
July 24 (AFP) - A United Nation's mission has begun evaluating the damage
from a widespread drought in Iran that Tehran estimates has caused some
1.7 billion dollars worth of damage, the official IRNA news agency reported
Monday. During their two-week visit, the UN team is expected to travel to
numerous drought-stricken provinces in the country, IRNA said >>>
FULL TEXT
Iran denies offering drinking water supply
to Kuwait
TEHRAN,
July (AFP) - Iran on Sunday denied Kuwaiti press reports that Tehran has
offered to supply Kuwait with some 200 million gallons (760 million litres)
of drinking water a day, the official IRNA news agency reported. "Following
the drought and water shortage in the country, we have no plans for the
exportation of water to other Persian Gulf countries, including Kuwait,"
Iran's Energy Minister Habibollah Bitaraf said, as cited by IRNA >>>
FULL TEXT
How movies are watched
Tehran
(Hamshahri) -- Interesting poll on where and how people watch movies. More
than 84 percent said they watch movies on TV, 9 percent at theaters and
the rest rent videos >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Fourth short plays fest
Tehran
(Bahar) -- A review of short plays performed at the fourth annual student
theater festival at Tehran University >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
New music albums
Tehran
(Bahar) -- Twenty music albums have been approved by the Culture Ministry
for distribution, including three produced abroad (one by Yanni and two
by Carlos Santana) >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Karimi: High expectations
Tehran
(Iran varzeshi) -- Ali Karimi will probably be the most important player
in Persepolis next season. He has a tremendous ability to score doals. His
manners on the field has also changed dramatically (after his one-year suspension
for a hitting a referee in an international match) >>> FULL TEXT
IN PERSIAN
Mousavi score in Germany
Tehran
(Iran varzeshi) -- Ali Mousavi has scored a goal for his German club in
a friendly match >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Esteqlal in near air disaster
Tehran
(Iran varzeshi) -- The plane carrying Esteqlal players back to Tehran from
Belgrade almost crash landed at Mehrabad >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
BBC
Shamlou's wife
Ahmad Shamlou, the greatest contemporary Iranian
poet, died this morning after battling illness. Shamlou was considered a
leading literary figure who had a great impact on modern Iranian free verse.
Sima Zand spoke to Aida, his wife >>>
LISTEN HERE
NOTE: BBC link content changes every 24 hours
BBC Persian
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Quote Unquote
Strangest of times
They smell your mouth
To see if you have been saying: I love you.
They smell your heart
This is the strangest of times, my dear!
-- Ahmad Shamlou, translated by Esmail Nooriala
"Propeht
of light"
The Iranian
July 24, 2000
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